Baddeley, Muncan Win Thrillers at the BAA Mile

Great Britain's Andy Baddeley entered Sunday's BAA Mile with a personal best--3:49.38--nearly 9 seconds faster than anyone else in the five-man field. An Olympian and the defending champion, Baddeley was an overwhelming favorite. His biggest competitor was perhaps high schooler and 4:03 miler Lukas Verzbicas; the next-fastest entrant was Craig Miller, a University of Wisconsin graduate with a 3:58 best.

But when Verzbicas hit the final straight on Boylston Steet in the lead, Baddeley needed everything he had to get the win. His 4:16.7 was only a tenth of a second better than Verzbicas (4:16.8). Miller was third in 4:17.4.

Verzbicas, who will attend the University of Oregon and recently set an indoor high school record at 5,000m, didn't expect to take Baddeley to the line. After a slow opening pace put all five runners in contention on the final of three laps, Verzbicas and Baddeley surged to the front with 200 meters to go. Verzibicas took the final turn on the inside, catching a full-stride's advantage. "It was a big surprise," he said. But Baddelely fought hard on the outside, brushing off a shove from Verzbicas before the line, to take the win (video below).

Minutes later, the women's mile produced a finish that was even closer. After a slow start, Anna Pierce, winner of the inaugural BAA Mile in 2009, surged into the lead on Newbury Street--the "backstretch" of the one-block loop. With a 3:59 PR for 1500m, Pierce was the class of the field, but unlike Baddeley, she found her kick wanting in the race's final meters.

As Pierce lunged for the line, Serbia's Marina Muncan and American Treniere Moser drew even. After a review, Muncan was given the win in 4:58. Pierce was second and Moser third.

Muncan is best known as rabbit. She was excited to enter a race that she planned to finish. "It's great that I came to compete, not to pace," she said.

The BAA 5-K featured an invitational men's and women's field for the first time. Maine native Ben True (right, in black) outsprinted a group of four to take a narrow victory in 14:07, a course record by 22 seconds. A slow opening pace (4:40 at the mile, 9:13 at mile 2) kept a large pack in contention through mile 2.5, until Ben Bruce of the Oregon Track Club Elite pushed into the lead down Commonwealth Avenue. "I knew nobody was going to break away, and I was pretty confident in my kick," True said. Bobby Curtis and Australia's Ben St. Lawrence were second and third in 14:08.

In the women's race, Kenya's Lineth Chepkurui took the only uncontested victory of the day in 15:52, a nearly 1-minute improvement on Jenn Campbell's record from 2010. "It's not bad for early season, and the weather was cold," she said. Chepkurui next heads to the Crescent City Classic in New Orleans, where last year she ran 30:45, the fastest road 10-K of 2010.

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